MovieChat Forums > Family Guy (1999) Discussion > Ultimately, better than The Simpsons

Ultimately, better than The Simpsons

posted 2 years ago by SandyR (7453)
26 replies | jump to latest

Granted, there would be no Family Guy without the influence of the Simpsons, but the Simpsons stopped being a funny show around 1998 or so. Family Guy, while occasionally dropping a stinker here and there, continues to be funny. The secret? The Simpsons stopped aiming their satire in all directions. Family Guy has no qualms taking the left to task just as much as the right. It's the same problem with SNL. Making fun of one ideology gets tired and the bias becomes obvious and annoying. That the left can't see the humor in its own foibles is disappointing.

(How do you NOT make fun of people who claim to be pro-woman but can't define what a woman is?)

[–] gtmufc (46) 2 years ago

One of my favourite Simpsons episodes, Homer Badman, completely predicts and takes to task the future MeToo movement... although I dunno if that was considered a 'left' issue or not back in the 90s.

[–] SandyR (7453) 2 years ago

The Simpsons were great in the 90s. I think the selection of G.W. Bush for president in 2000 made the writers angry enough to focus solely on criticizing the right.

[–] gtmufc (46) 2 years ago

Possibly! I think the world has just gone that way in general... on both sides! Politics is more and more about 'us vs them' nowadays rather than the country itself...

[–] SandyR (7453) 2 years ago

I hope so.

[–] DoctorThirteen (10593) a year ago

Is that the one where he's filmed reaching for a gummy bear or jelly baby or something that's stuck to some girl's ass? The babysitter, maybe?

[–] gtmufc (46) 10 months ago

Sorry for the late reply... I don't visit this site often, but yes, that's the one! :)

[–] DMT (3916) 2 years ago

idk Simpsons sucks now but it was a 10/10 show in the 90s. Family Guy might have fallen less in quality but it never reached the highs Simpsons reached. It peaked at an 8/10 or so show so its decline in quality never hurt as much as the fall of a once King

[–] DoctorThirteen (10593) a year ago

Definitely agree The Simpsons was 10/10 in its day.

[–] SandyR (7453) a year ago

1989 to about 2001 (though some say it went downhill earlier, I remember seeing some good ones in the early 2000s).

[–] [deleted] a year ago

Simpsons was a great show, at least for the first 12 or so seasons. The early seasons, in particular, were great because they usually had a moral or lesson accompanied with them. I don’t watch Simpsons or Family Guy anymore, I haven’t for like 10 years. But Simpsons was just a better show in my opinion. Both were funny, but Simpsons was better for me.

[–] Daft_Munks (4159) a year ago

Possibly true, but I always resented Family Guy for stealing Simpson's crown and something in me just couldn't like it and I felt gutted when friends would say they watched it.

I know how stupid that is, looking back on it I wished I'd been more open minded although I still don't watch Family Guy and don't think I ever will now.

[–] SandyR (7453) a year ago

I watched a recent episode of Family Guy and the writing is clearly suffering. This happened before when Seth McFarlane was working on his lesser series American Dad and The Cleveland Show. It may be time for the Family Guy to finish up, though. The only cutting edge satire that seems to never wane is South Park.

[–] Catsaregods (136) 9 months ago

Outside the U.S, people still overwhelmingly prefer The Simpsons over any other adult animated sitcom. Here in Latin America, almost nobody knows what Family Guy is, while everyone can quote Simpsons episodes.

[–] liscarkat (16750) 5 months ago

Latin America? So what?

[–] strntz (10964) a year ago

Family Guy is better because it had a longer run of funny episodes and still continues to put out some good ones here and there.

The Simpsons is dead for me past season 15, with only a small percentage of funny episodes between 12 and 15.

In its heyday, the Simpsons was far better than Family Guy ever was, but it has stunk far longer than it was good.

[–] DoctorThirteen (10593) a year ago

'In its heyday, the Simpsons was far better than Family Guy ever was, but it has stunk far longer than it was good.'

I guess I'd go along with that. Family Guy has made me laugh, but never to the level that peak Simpsons did.

[–] bobbydallas (8112) 10 months ago

simply untrue

[–] Cac1981 (331) 10 months ago

Agreed. The best of the simpsons trumps the best family guy had to offer. I’ll admit The Simpsons has fallen off a cliff but Family Guy is getting just as bad. Recycling the same gags gets old

[–] SandyR (7453) 10 months ago

Early Simpsons can't be touched, true. But FG maintained a pretty good level of funny much longer than the Simpsons did.

[–] Cac1981 (331) 10 months ago

I don't think thats true. Family Guy has relied on the same ol schtick and running gags for way to long. But everyone is entitled to their opinion!

[–] bobbydallas (8112) 10 months ago

to me early Simpsons > early Family Guy
and that's the tooth.

obviously both shows are great, but Simpsons just hits it different with me.
also i find the FG episodes in general feel like they should be 10mins shorter and fluff the rest with the never-ending chicken fights, vomit sessions, and etc.

[–] spurtle467 (1509) 10 months ago

I've watched a few episodes of Family Guy and while some of it was funny, it always felt like a cheap knock off of The Simpsons. The animation has always been far less polished from what I can see, and the humour with the constant cutaway gags or other sophomoric jokes just never really hooked me in. It felt lazy and you could tell not as much thought or sophistication went into the show as did The Simpsons. At least The Simpsons of old that is. I expect now there's not much between them.

At its peak The Simpsons was the best comedy out there and something like Family Guy could never touch it.

[–] Catsaregods (136) 9 months ago

Meh, The Simpsons is a global phenomenon. Nobody knows what Family Guy is here in Latin America. The Simpsons movie made more than 500 million USD worldwide, a Family Guy movie would flop.

[–] HarrySkywalker (514) 5 months ago

Totally false.

The worst ever episode of tThe Simpsons is massively superior to the best ever Family Guy episode.

The Simpsons is a legendary masterpiece, at least during its Golden Era.

Family Guy is an abomination and one of the worst TV shows ever made. It's the most unfunny garbage I've ever seen in my life.

[–] SandyR (7453) 5 months ago

I feel very sorry for you.

[–] HarrySkywalker (514) 5 months ago

I'm the one who feels very sorry for you.

Family Guy is and has always been absolutely horrific.